Monday's Daily Pulse

What you need to know about Florida today

| 10/21/2013

C.W.Bill Young

C. W. Bill Young, Longtime Florida Congressman, Dies

U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young, the longest-serving Republican in Congress and a legislator who consistently brought federal dollars to his home district of Pinellas County, died Friday. Mr. Young served with eight U.S. presidents over parts of five decades. He leaves behind a stunning volume of legislative accomplishment in which he tapped federal funds to improve science and public health, military readiness, the beaches, transportation and access to drinking water. Read more from the Tampa Bay Times and the AP.

A new report from the Florida Department of Education says the state could put in a financial literacy course without spending a lot of money. State legislators this year asked DOE to analyze how much it would cost if the state wanted to require high school students to take a semester-long course that deals with personal finances. [Source: AP]

"Sand War" heats up over offshore discovery

After losing much of their beachfront to erosion from Superstorm Sandy, South Florida officials think they have found "the future mother lode" of sand off the shores of the Treasure Coast north of Palm Beach County, with more than enough to replenish their beaches for the next 50 years. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

Spanish investment in Florida offers business gold

South Florida has become a magnet for Spanish investment and trade. Not only does the region have cultural and language ties to Spain, but its advantageous location allows Spanish companies to establish an outpost here for business in both the United States and Latin America. [Source: Miami Herald]

Citrus, vegetables had a good 2012 in Florida

Florida's Department of Agriculture released a 180-page report Friday showing that citrus fruits, snap beans and cucumbers grown in the Sunshine State are among the industry's highlights. The report reveals the sweep of the state's agriculture industry; it's the second-largest industry in the state, behind tourism. Agriculture contributes $104 billion to the state's economy annually and employs 2 million people. [Source: AP]

› As sport declines, Orlando Jai-Alai adds movies, other events [Orlando Sentinel] When Francisco Elorriaga played jai-alai professionally in the mid-1970s, fans would stream into the Orlando Jai-Alai fronton by the hundreds to watch the frenetic matches in which players used woven baskets to hurl hard rubber balls against a wall. The fronton on U.S. Highway 17-92 near Casselberry still offers jai-alai, but nearly every seat was empty for matches during the season that ended in August.

› Darden must make major changes, analysts say [Orlando Sentinel] An activist investor has Orlando-based Darden Restaurants in its cross hairs, which analysts say underscores the need for a new approach at the world's largest casual-dining company.